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So, it’s Thursday. You’re tired. Rundown. Hoping to make it to the end of the week. We understand. That’s why we’ve decided to feature a hairstyle that’s sure to liven things up! It’s playful, ultra-feminine, and dying to be part of your life again. Yes, again…

Reaching back to those school-girl years, this last coif features a style we’ve known & loved… then hated, and now re-invented for it’s most stylish debut yet! The BRAID! And not just any braid… The 2011 Spring/Summer runways were packed full of this tried & true ‘do, but always with a little twist. Here’s a few worth showing: (If you want a play-by-play on any of these, email us at contact.RUNWAYDIARIES@gmail.com, leave a comment, or visit our Submissions page for more info.)

So, I’ve been MIA for the past few weeks, and for that, I apologize. The holidays are a whirlwind of jolly good times, yet every year it becomes more and more apparent that there’s also a pretty stiff cocktail of mass chaos & stressful ordeals mixed in. That being said, I don’t think I’m alone in being thankful that another holiday season is behind us! So please join me in cheers-ing to 2011 once more!

If you haven’t noticed, I’m letting the “2010 holiday hairstyle” posts die with 2010. I’m still keeping my word on giving you 5 wonderful hairstyles to lean on, but these last two are engineered perfectly for what’s ahead–Spring 2011!

Are you Knotty or Nice?! Take a break from Santa’s list and look forward to Spring 2011’s knottiest ‘do. The Double Hair Knot was a huge hit on the runway of Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2011! Fashionistas everywhere are trying to figure out this new twist on the topsy-turvy. We have scoured the internet for instructions on “How To” make this look yours, but with no true success. So, in true RD fashion, we made our own! The Runway Diaries presents The Double Hair Knot in 4 Easy DIY Steps:

I think it’s necessary that you please note that I am in no way an artist, artistic, or even able to draw a proportionate stick figure. These pictures are purely for instructional (and comical) purposes only. Consider this hilarious attempt at drawing my Christmas present to you all. Enjoy!

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We’ve been a loyal fan of this style since grade-school and it’s been our go-to mane ‘do for those (all too infrequent) gym outings. However, this season, the sweats & t-shirt classic is anything but boring! Try this sexy twist on a tried-and-true favorite and it’s sure to crowd please at any holiday fête!

THE FLIPPIN’ COOL PONY:

Nothing showed up more on the runway & red carpet this season than the pony. And we’re still thanking the trend gods that we don’t have to chop off all our luscious locks into a V. Beckham wedge to be cool. On the contrary, this season (and next, by the way) it’s all about adapting the style to YOU! Here at TRD, we’re ALL about that. The pony can be stylized in a million different ways, but here’s the latest… and the run-down on doing it yourself.

The always posh Kate Beckinsale rocks the flipped out pony at the Hollywood premiere of "Going The Distance"

2. Separate your damp, now texturized, hair into two sections: above your ear is the top, and the other becomes the bottom section. With a round brush, blow dry the top section under, and the bottom section flipped out. (Tip: Let the ends cool on the round brush to really set the direction of the flip.)

3. Starting at the forehead and working toward the crown, tease your hair in 1 X 2 inch sections (1 inch back and 2 inches wide), teasing about 2 inches up the hair shaft. Keep adding volumized sections until you reach the crown.

4. Gently brush your teased locks straight back into a pony, adjusting the height of your volume at this time.

5. Pull hair back into a high pony and secure with a rubberband. Once tightly secured, run that round brush through the underside of the pony, and next just through the ends to flip them out.

6. Add extra volume into the tail by teasing the top inch of the pony until it looks like the picture above.

7. For extra class, wrap a 1/2- inch wide section from the bottom of the tail around the rubberband and secure with a bobby pin.

…Now don that little black dress, a pair of killer heels & don’t forget your camera… ’cause we want to see it! Email your TRD successes to Contact.RunwayDiaries@gmail.com and we will brag on you 🙂

DONT GO FAR: ANOTHER DIY ‘DO!

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Recently I received a request for some easy do-it-yourself hair styles from the wife of an Air Force Officer in training. Their annual formal “dining out” event is coming up and most of the wives are trying to keep it “low-budget beautiful.”

When I received this request, my first thought was, “Man, I’m extremely honored to be given a chance to give back to these men & women who are giving up their lives every day so I can write this silly beauty blog in a free country.” I started to write her back a personal message, and that’s when my second thought came up. “I bet there’s more than a few people who are in a similar situation– wanting to look beautiful and polished for an important holiday event, but would rather spend their hard-earned money elsewhere than on a professional hair-style they will take down four hours later.”

I couldn’t agree more. In high school when everyone was setting up their professional salon hair appointments for homecoming and prom, I did my own. True, I didn’t earn many “cool” points by nixing the popular hair artist, but I learned a whole bunch about DIY beauty & hair that still remains useful many moons later when a stylist’s do’s are impractical for the swarm of holiday functions you’ll be attending.

That being said, for the next 5 posts I decided to share 5 Hot Do-It-Yourself Holiday Hairstyles on the Runway Diaries so that everyone can feel fabulous this season, no matter the budget. These styles are timeless & chic, so check back often for an easy-to-throw-up-hair-style that will please all holiday long.

THE MESSY SIDE BUN:

One of my personal favorites is the Messy Side Bun. It’s easy to do with any hair texture, almost every length, and takes 5 minutes. Plus, looks chic with any formal gown. Think, “I didn’t really try too hard to look beautiful today– but I do.”

1. Start with air-dried hair. You may blow-dry if it makes your more comfortable, but add in some rough curls if you do– This style looks best with a bit of texture at the root & tip. If your wavy hair tends to be straight at the ends, gently curl the last few inches. (P.S. That’s most likely due to damage, so chop those off at your next cut.)

2. Part your hair on the right and finger comb your locks through to the ends.

3. Pull hair back in a low & loose, left-side ponytail, roughly an inch or so from the midline. (Hint: Use a rubber band that’s closest to your hair color to avoid it being noticeable.) If you have bangs, they will naturally separate from the bun after a few minutes of movement, as seen in the picture above. If your hair is one length, let it be one length. Please please please don’t pull down that pinky-sized section of hair in the front and curl it into a tight spiral. That’s a one way ticket back to the early 90’s. Let your hair do what it wants. If that piece wants to come down on its own, let it, and then add some bending in. But don’t help it.

4. Twist your pony until it starts to curl up on itself. (Hint: Twisting it to the left, away from midline, will create a more dramatic side bun, while twisting it to the right will draw it back towards the middle a bit. Find out which feels best for you. Everyone’s different… and we’re allll about that.)

5. As the pony starts twisting around itself, go with it’s natural twist direction, and wrap the pony into a bun. The tighter you twist, the more refined it will look… and as you can guess, the looser, the messier. Adapt it to your own personality.

6. Tuck the end of the pony between your head & the bun and secure with another ponytail holder. (Advanced Move: Tuck the end of the pony under the rubber band already used in order to minimize foreign objects in your hair.)

7. It should feel a bit loose since this is not a sleek look. Take a few bobby pins to the stragglers to anchor them until it feels sturdy, but don’t over do it. This IS a messy bun, so let it be messy! Unless you’re a ballerina on show night. In that rare case, pin the heck out of it.

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This is a short one, but one that you can do every day! When taking a shower, here is a two-part tip for ultra shiny hair:

Shampoo and Condition before you take care of any other business. While you are exfoliating, shaving, etc, let your conditioner sit for at least 3 minutes. Right before you turn off the water, turn on a quick burst of cold water to wash out that conditioner.

The cold water closes the cuticle of your hair, locking in the conditioner and moisture. Blow dry your hair completely (leaving some moisture in the hair will cause it to dry with a coarse texture) with a flat brush for extra shiny locks!

RUNWAY:Bumble & Bumble Seaweed Shampoo & Conditioner, $17 & $18, Bumble & Bumble stores & online at BumbleandBumble.com. This set is one of my all-time favorites. When I lived in NY, the Bumble & Bumble Salon on West 13th would offer models free salon services if we brought in one of our comp cards. This seaweed extract concoction feeds roots and adds loads of shine.

MY WAY:Mirra Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner, $4, Kroger. Yeah, yeah. I know it’s a grocery brand. But I will tell you that for the money, this is a great brand. I recently bought this smoothing formula, yes– because of the pretty colors on the lids, and my hair felt noticeably smoother after the first wash. Just try it out. Don’t be a shower snob 🙂

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I want to quickly thank everyone who has been checking in quite often to The RUNWAY DIARIES! Sunday had a record breaking 290 visitors! You make this blog worthwhile and I couldn’t thank you enough for your support.

Even though I am in denial about the rapidly approaching winter months, they’re still going to roll right on in. Now, I’m all about beautiful scarves, chocolate brown riding boots, opaque tights and adorably-knitted hats, don’t get me wrong. But what I can’t stand more than anything in the winter… is static-y hair. And isn’t it those daily annoyances that always seem to be unavoidable, no matter what you do?! Well, here are a few tips from various runway stylists to get us all through the winter, static-free:

Wisk your teasing comb quickly through a burst of hairspray before combing down your part. The tiny teeth of the comb won’t separate hair like a brush would.

Rub a dryer sheet from root to tip just after blow drying those beautiful locks. It will cut down on static electricity AND makes your hair super soft!

When hats are to blame for that electrical socket look, spray a quick spritz of Static Guard inside the hat before placing it on your head.

To prevent static from becoming a problem, throw a hand-sculpted ball of aluminum foil into the dryer. Just remember to dial it down from “high heat.” Though, I know it’s a wonderful thing to pull that warmed pair of sweat pants out of the dryer after a shower.